UNCTAD, through its Debt and Development Finance Branch (DDFB), works on analytical issues technical assistance, primarily in the areas of external and domestic debt.

UNCTAD began working on debt issues during the 1970s. As the debt situation of developing countries has evolved over the following three decades, DDFB has provided up-to-date analysis of the most important developments and emerging issues in international debt, and adapted its technical assistance to the changing needs of developing countries.

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News

With a growing mountain of global debt remaining at the heart of a highly fragile worldwide economy, experts are meeting in Geneva at the 10th UNCTAD Debt Management Conference on 23–25 November in a context of heightened alerts about threats to future debt sustainability in many emerging and developing economies. Global debt reached an astounding $199 trillion in 2014, up from $21 trillion in 1984.

​A round table discussion warns of new debt crises and the challenges these will pose to the Sustainable Development Goals if the world does not agree on a new, more effective legal mechanism to restructure sovereign debt. Civil society urges UNCTAD to continue its work on the issue.

​Representatives of member States contributing to discussions at the sixty-second session of the Trade and Development Board praised UNCTAD's work on sovereign debt crises and the search for a new mechanism to deal with them.

A draft resolution on "Basic Principles on Sovereign Debt Restructuring Processes" (A/69/L.84) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York at its Sixty-Ninth Session on 10 September 2015, with 136 member States voting for, six against and 41 abstentions. UNCTAD, with over 40 years of experience on debt management and restructuring issues, served as secretariat for the negotiations among Members on the resolution.